Emmanuel Baptist Church has a deep and rich history in
the city of Albany. Emmanuel began in 1810, then known as the Particular
Baptist Church. Reaching membership of 327 in 1834, the congregation
outgrew a theater where they had been worshipping, so they built a new place
of worship, called the Pearl Street Baptist Church. The Pearl Street Church
prospered and grew and by 1866 it had outgrown its pews. A new and larger
church building was needed, closer to where people lived and away from the
expanding commercial area on Pearl Street. The site at 276 State Street was
secured in 1869 and a new edifice erected. At the dedication, held in
February 1871, the present name Emmanuel was adopted. This has been the
congregation’s home ever since.

Over the years many pastors have led the church, each
bringing their talents and skills to lead the church forward. Through many
ups and downs, wars and depressions, Emmanuel has continued to preach the
Good News to the people of Albany. Ministries of previous pastors continue
to shape Emmanuel today. In 1968 the Reverend Dr. Ralph Elliott, created a
cooperative ministry with nearby Westminster Presbyterian, First
Presbyterian, and Trinity Methodist. These Capital Hill congregations
became known as the FOCUS Churches. FOCUS ministers to the poor with food
pantry and breakfast programs. In 1974 the Reverend Dr. Keith Russell
guided Emmanuel in changing the governance structure which affirmed
participation by youth and members of minority cultures. Reverend Russell
encouraged community use of the church facilities. In the late 1990's, The
Reverend Dr. Roy Donkin opened the discussion about Emmanuel becoming a
Welcoming and Affirming congregation. This position was confirmed by a
congregational vote during the pastorate of Ellen Tatreau in 2005.

Over the years Emmanuel has always supported missions by
seeding new churches and sending support and prayers to overseas
ministries. For many years, from 1887 into the mid 20th century,
a Chinese congregation and Sunday School was housed in the building. More
recently, Emmanuel has offered a home to Heart of Hope, a congregation
offering solace and outreach to the GLBT community.

Since 2003,
both the building and the congregation of EBC have undergone dramatic
changes. During the pastorate of Ellen Tatreau, we completed the first
stages of a building renovation and a capital campaign. Our sanctuary and
our kitchen have more graceful, practical and modern appearances. The new
lighting, sound system, flexible seating and carpet in the sanctuary have
increased our joy and enthusiasm for diversifying worship. Most adult
Sunday school space is handicapped accessible. The FOCUS food pantry is now
operating full time in a new, designated space as well. The renovation of
the sanctuary has enhanced the fine acoustics and we have increased the
number of concerts offered to the community as a result. The space
continues to be open for use by other community not-for-profit
organizations. All of this work utilized large amounts of “sweat equity” and
lay leadership.

Beyond our own
walls, Emmanuel has been working to bring Christ’s message of love to the
world. We have continued to have intergenerational and adult international
mission trips. Strong support of the New York State Baptist outdoor
ministries has also come about in recent decades and Emmanuel continues to
send support, prayers, staff, and campers to Pathfinder Lodge and Camp
Vick. Our monthly choir visits to area nursing homes are in high demand.
We have reached out to area parents with young children and have seen the
attendance of children in worship grow dramatically. Our recently updated
website has improved our visibility on the internet.

Emmanuel is affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA. We are a
member of the FOCUS Churches of Albany, the Capital Area Council of
Churches, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptist Churches, the
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and the Center Square
Neighborhood Association.